Improvement in piston-packings



UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

A. S. CAMERON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN PISTON-PACKVINGS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,699, dated July 31, 1866.

which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the sanne, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot' this specification. in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal section of this invention. Fig. 2 shows a portion of the packing detached.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a piston-packing which consists of a wire placed spirally round the circumference of the piston and reta-ined by a spiral groove in the periphery or working-face of the piston in such a manner that said wire will be pressed tight against the i`nner surface of the cylinder by its own inherent elasticity7 and a packing is obtained which is cheap, and which is not liable to allow the steam or other fluid to pass as it wears, but remains tight until entirely Worn out.

A represents a piston which works iu the cylinder B. Said piston is provided With'a spiral groove, a', just large enough to receive' the packing-wire b.` At one end of the spiral groove I drill a hole, c, which is intended to admit the hook d, formed at thet end of the packing-wire, as shown in Fig. 2, and afteriY the hook has been entered in said hole the wire is wound round the pistonnunrti-l the 'groove...a

is filled. The wire is then cut off and left Ioo'se in the groove.

For the packing-Wire I propose to use hard brass wire orwire. of othersuitable material and" which is" iiot""liable to wear the cylinder. After the piston with the Wire packing has been introduced into the cylinder the Wire` spreads byits own elasticity and bears steam-` tight against the inner surface of the cylinder, and if the packing or the cylinder wears out the wire spreads still farther, its loose end` being free to recede in the groove without permitting the steam or other fluid to pass through.

A packing is thus obtained which is cheap, readily put in, not liable to get out of order, and which will last for a long time without re-,. quiring any attention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The spiral packing-wire b. in combination with the piston A, substantially as and for the purpose described.

A. S. CAMERON.

Witnesses WM. F. MGNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

which has snflicient `elasticityfor the purpose... 

